When Wendy Vogelberger of Cockeysville came home from the hospital a few days before Christmas two years ago with newborn Kurt, the last thing on her mind was a holiday breakfast.

There was a baby to feed. Two-year-old Cole and husband, Mark, to tend to. Packages to wrap.

So when a neighbor dropped off an egg casserole on Christmas Eve that only needed to be popped in the oven in the morning, Vogelberger was thrilled. As gifts were unwrapped the next day, the hearty aroma of the dish wafted through the house, tantalizing the sleep-deprived mom's taste buds.

Now, the casserole has become a family favorite.

But even if you don't have a new infant in the house, do-ahead meals make the hectic holiday morning a lot easier amid the avalanche of wrapping paper and ribbon. A substantial breakfast also will keep the family going strong until dinner, regardless of how many candy canes and chocolate Santas are consumed.

Preparation is the key, says cookbook author Nathalie Dupree.

"Make sure you do something you know well or something you've done before or that is non-fail," says Dupree, whose book, "Nathalie Dupree's Comfortable Entertaining: At Home With Ease and Grace" (Viking, 1998) includes several breakfast recipes. "Make sure you have the right amount of butter, flour and other ingredients."

She cautions cooks about having unrealistic expectations. If you never make waffles, this is probably not the time to get creative.

"Expectations are so high," says the Georgia resident. "Everybody is anxious. There's all this emotional stuff going on."

Also, think about how you are going to handle mishaps, she stresses. "Make a decision that if someone breaks the Christmas china, it isn't the worst thing in the world. If it is, put it away. Just don't use it."

At the Vandiver Inn in Havre de Grace, chef-innkeeper Robert Scardina is used to feeding 18 hungry visitors for breakfast. He always starts preparing food the night before, he says.

"That was the birth of the [french-toast] casserole," he says."It allows you to spend more time with your guests."

If you're looking for easily assembled dishes for Christmas morning, holiday brunches or when you have overnight company, give the following recipes a try.

Butter a 2 1/2 -quart souffle dish or casserole. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add sausage. Brown the sausage for 5 minutes, breaking it up with a fork as it cooks. Add mushrooms and onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs and milk. Place a layer of bread in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half the sausage mixture and sprinkle with one-third of the cheese. Repeat with another layer of bread, the other half of the sausage and another 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with a third layer of bread.

Slowly pour milk and egg mixture over the top and sprinkle with the last 1/2 cup grated cheese. Let the strata stand for at least one hour or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Set a baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven to catch any drips and bake the strata until the top is nicely browned and bubbly, about one hour.

Grate the orange peels and reserve for the dressing. Then peel the oranges, removing all the white pith. Cut oranges into 1/4 -inch slices to make wagon wheels, or section them, removing all membranes.

Combine the oranges and mint. Refrigerate, covered, a couple of hours or overnight. Add the bananas no more than one hour before serving. Put the salad in a glass serving bowl and serve with the yogurt dressing on the side.

Dressing:

Makes 1 cup

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

4 teaspoons honey

Combine the yogurt, peel, orange juice and honey. Refrigerate, covered, until needed. Serve on the side with fruit or poundcake.